Jameis Winston Continues Heisman Trend, More Freshman Than Seniors Have Won in Last Decade

Jameis Winston is your 2013 Heisman winner. It was an outcome only in doubt as the sexual assault allegations lingered, as his performance on the field more than merited the award. Once Willie Meggs announced (to much laughter) that no charges would be brought, this outcome in the Heisman voting was likely.

Winston’s margin of victory was the 5th largest ever. Winston might have broke Desmond Howard’s record if 115 voters hadn’t left him off their ballot completely.

It marks the fourth straight year that a dynamic quarterback, who was not really on the award radar preseason, has surged to the trophy.

In 2010, Mark Ingram returned and was the favorite, along with Ohio State’s Terrelle Pryor. Cam Newton went from Blinn College to the Heisman and National Championship in one season. In 2011, Andrew Luck returned after being the runner up the year before, but it was Robert Griffin III coming on to win the award after being on no one’s watch list at the start of the season.

Last year, Matt Barkley entered as the favorite, but it was the first freshman, Johnny Manziel, who won the award. It didn’t take nearly as long for a freshman to win it again. Exactly one year. So for the fourth straight year, a quarterback who was not considered among the ten most likely winners has come on to take the award in dominating fashion. Three of them were not starters the year before.

The preseason favorites have been the veterans, the next man up, but it has been the hot shot players getting their chance to start that have won recently.

In fact, before last season, one might have asked, “can a Freshman win the Heisman?” Just a year later, it may be more meaningful to ask “when will a senior win the Heisman again?”. It has been since 2006, and Troy Smith has been the only senior to win it in the last decade, when we have had two freshman, three sophomores, and four juniors.

[Video via Alex]